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of later date. Exmoor ponies are brown or buffy bay with mealy 

 noses, and the persistence of the characteristic colour is regarded as 

 evidence of the purity and antiquity of the breed. The head is 

 neat, clean cut and full of character, the ears are neat and the neck 

 is rather short, The shoulders appear short but are set well back 

 making the pony short from withers to croup. The withers are low 

 and wide, the loins powerful and the quarters wide from hip to hip. 

 The forelegs are long in the arm and short in the cannon. The 

 most common defects of conformation, as in all pony breeds, are 

 drooping quarters and cow hocks Exmoor ponies are valuable 

 foundation stock for the production of hunters and polo ponies being 

 themselves excellent small riding horses. Though small, the Exmoor 

 is full of fire and endurance and will carry a heavy man for a long 

 journey. 



THE POLO PONY. 



The Polo Pony Society was started in 1893 with the object of 

 improving and encouraging the breeding of high class riding ponies ; 

 and in order ultimately to evolve a distinct breed it has since its 

 foundation periodically issued a Stud Book. The conditions of entry 

 as they stand in 1912 are in effect as follows : Young ponies 

 up to three years old will be received for entry, without a 

 number, in the Supplement to the Stud Book, provided that either 

 the sire or the dam is either registered in the Stud Book or 

 entered in the Supplement. Ponies are also admitted after being 

 passed by inspectors appointed by the Council of the Society, but 

 no pony can be registered in the Stud Book proper unless it 

 conforms to the limit of height. At present the maximum for 

 mares and geldings four years old and upwards is 14'2 hands high. 

 Stallions may be 15 hands. Animals are measured without shoes, 

 or if with shoes, half an inch is allowed for them. In the Polo 

 Pony the native breeds of ponies are the foundation stock into which 

 Thoroughbred and Eastern blood have been infused, and probably 

 owing to the fact that our native ponies have all at various times 

 been crossed with Eastern sires, the blend has been highly successful. 

 The Society has gone far to establish a distinct breed of high-class 

 riding ponies, the young stock of which comes true to type, and 

 which is eminently suited not only for polo but for all work under 

 saddle. At first it was thought there would be difficulty in keeping 

 the height below the 14'2 hands standard, but in practice no 

 such difficulty has been experienced. It is claimed that the breed 

 combines the quality and speed of the Thoroughbred, with the 

 courage, endurance and docility of the Arab, and the hardiness, 

 alertness and activity of the native ponies. 



The points desired in a Polo Pony are those common to all first 

 rate riding horses : He should have a clean well-bred head ; a 

 good, fairly long neck sweeping up from the withers in a graceful 

 curve (a ewe-neck or a short punchy one is most objectionable). 

 The withers should be placed well back, making the back appeal- 

 short ; the shoulders should be freely used, and must not be round, 

 but nicely sloping, so that the saddle will not slip when the player 

 is leaning over to hit the ball. The loins and quarters should be 

 powerful, the tail smartly carried, the barrel deep and well coupled. 



